Cinnamon “Toast” Cloudcakes

Weekend mornings are made for laziness and pancakes. Unfortunately for the last few weeks, Saturdays here have not been so lazy. We’re getting the windows replaced in our house, and it’s been a long and messy process that, six days a week, starts with contractors coming over at 8:30 and ends in me finding at least one new ding in our carefully refinished original wood floors. Seriously, that makes me want to pull my hair out. Thankfully, there’s Sunday. A day when I don’t have to worry about being changed out of my Hello Kitty pajama pants before nine. A day when I can make Cinnamon “Toast” Cloudcakes for breakfast!

Cloudcakes require a little extra effort than regular pancakes, but if I can handle it in the morning, then I promise you can, too. Really, you just need to whip and fold some egg whites…that’s what makes them puffy and cloud-light. The “cinnamon toast” here just refers to spicing in the batter. If you want plain cloudcakes, simply axe the cinnamon. The recipe sounds like it makes a ton, but they are just little silver dollar-sized things, so a tall stack is what you’re after. I made a half-recipe for just the two of us. And some turkey bacon, which I see now looks totally weird in pictures.

Home stovetops vary, so you may need to adjust the burner setting between medium-low and medium. For maximum rise, allow the eggs and buttermilk to come up to room temperature before using them. Low-fat buttermilk works best here; if using fat-free buttermilk, reduce the amount to 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons. Although these pancakes are at their puffiest when served in batches, they can be kept warm on a cooling rack coated with cooking spray and placed over a sheet pan in a 200°F oven for up to 20 minutes.

-Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together in large bowl. Stir buttermilk and sour cream together in medium bowl until combined. Add egg yolks and butter to buttermilk mixture, and stir well to combine. With electric mixer or balloon whisk, beat all 4 egg whites in large bowl to soft peaks. Pour buttermilk mixture over dry ingredients and whisk until just combined. (Batter should be lumpy, with visible streaks of flour.) Using spatula, carefully fold whites into batter until just combined. Do not overmix–a few streaks of whites should be visible.

-Heat 2 teaspoons oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Using 1/8-cup measure or small ladle, spoon batter into pan. Cook until bottoms are evenly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip pancakes and cook until golden brown on second side, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Serve, cooking remaining batter and using more vegetable oil as needed to grease pan.